Give a Little, Get a Little (More)

Giving to others is known to boost the donor's mood as well as the receiver's. New research shows us how to make helping even more of a win-win.

Set a concrete goal.

Instead of telling yourself that you'll help those less fortunate, be specific: Buy a meal for a homeless person. A study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that people who pursued a specific altruistic goal—making someone smile—felt better than those assigned, vaguely, to make someone happy. Framing a goal in concrete terms, according to the authors, lessens the gap between expectations and outcome, increasing our satisfaction.

Spend time on others.

A study in Psychological Science found that those who were instructed to write a note to a sick child felt as if they had more time on their hands than those who completed a mindless task, even though both activities took exactly five minutes. According to researchers, spending time on others enhances people's confidence in their ability to get things done and may relieve the pressure of time constraints, allowing them to budget time and fulfill responsibilities more efficiently.

Share the wealth.

College students who received money to spend on someone else reported being in a better mood throughout the day than those who spent it on themselves, according to a report in Current Directions in Psychological Science. And in South Africa—where more than 20 percent of the sample disclosed having lacked enough money for food sometime in the prior year—those who bought a bag of treats for hospitalized children reported being happier than those who indulged their own sweet tooth.